The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-08
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
COMMISSION MAKES A REPORT
10 SECRETARY RNDICOPT
Upon the Work Done at Plum Point
and Lake Providence Reaches
Tennessee River.
ESPECIAL TO rHK ArrEAL.I

~ oOhhAu w THE MEMPHIS APPEAL,
No. 1903 F STREET, WASHINGTON,
January THE following communi.
cation from the Mississippi River
Commission to Mr., Endicoti was trans.
init ed to the Senate today: The river
and harbor act OF August 5, 1886, i'm
posed on ths Commission the condi-
ton that no works OF bank protection
or revetment shall bs exc
cuted III said reaches or else
where until sf or 1t ehsil be-
found that the com pletion of permea.
bic contracting works and uniform
width of high water chsnnel will not
SECURE the desired stability of river
banks. This limitation is bas d, it ia
believed, on the theory that river il
once regu ated will not scour its
natlral banks. The Commission
are somewhat familiar with op;E.
ions snd writings Of hydraulic
engineers, and 60 far advised this
theory is totally uDrecognizsd by any
aulhorstlve work on hydraulics, 1t ia
universally zee gEizsd by such writers
that, in gen raj, when large obstruc-
tlon ID placed on one band of the
river oorresp onding wearing away
OF the opposite bank occurs in con-
quence. There is no evidence
that regulated river will nat
cave lis backs, and in most cases 1t is
impossibleto build permesble contract
ing works or secure any narrowing OF
the channel by them without holding
banks in their immediate neighbour
hood while the work is going on. The
unprotected banks would recede
while the contracting works
vera being built. These gen.
eral views are fully confirmed by the
experience OF the. Commission on the
Mississippi. The contraction works at
Gold Dust, Plum Point, Duncsnsby
and aleshead have been follow ed by
the caying in of the opposite bank,
whose immed ate result is by again
eDlarglng the croEs section o.
river TO destroy any bene-
fetal results contraction works
might otherwise produce. That
such works ma secure any valuable
permanent contraction OF the oppo.
cite bank must in general bs held by
protection works. In the opinion OF
the Commission, the idea that the
Mississippi river can be permanently
improved by contraction works alone
Is purely visionary and theoretical.
contradicted by experience and
not supported by any good au hor-
ity, To dept such system is, In the
opinion Of tie Commission, t. waste
public money. Holding these views,
the Commiss oaers, as engineers, can.
not recommend to Congress go futile
en- undertaking. In the work which
has been done in Plum Point and
Lake Providence reaches the plan
which has been 60 frtquenty
and explicitly recommended by
the Commission in previous re-
Torts, and which embraces
combination OF permeable contracting
works aud bank protection as means
of narrowing and deepening the chan.
mel, has bsen applied. Work has been
conducted under difficulties which can
justly bs called extraordinary. Since
irs commencement a succession Of
foods have occurred without prece.
de t, by which work has been
gr ;atly lnterfeIed with and large
expense and losses incurred. On two
occasions the annual appropriations
have failed entirely, and in no case
except one has it reached the amount
recommended. During long intervals
o time works have remained in an un-
tilished cond ton, exposed to injuries
which under favorable condi-
lions might have been prevent d
nevertheless, the deepened channel
through improved portions of thess
reaches has been maintained con-
tinuously. The present season has
been one Of extra0rdinary low water,
the lowest since 1879 In many parts
OF The river the depth has fallen to six
feet and under. But in the improved
part of tbs reaches it has been at all
times navigable. The channel was of
ample depth before these works were
began these rePches were the worst
places on the river. IL was for that
reason that their improvement was
undertaken, first in order, that these
successful and gratifying results could
have been obtained by @ continuation
of permeable contracting works and
bank protection; each experimenting
and aiding each other; and ia the
opinion Of the Commss on could not
have been obtained by permeable con-
tIac ing works alone.
In the act of August 5, 1885, certain
restrictions already referred to, not
entirely free from ambiguity, are laid
upon the use of bank protection or
revetments az means of channel i'm
provement. In the recommendations
made for the expenditure of this
appropriation, the Commission have
regarded these restrictions and have
recommended that no work of bank
protection or revetment that does not
see m to them to be absolutely neCes-
sary to save from destructi n Of costly
work already done or valuable results
already attained; leaving to yourself
at the same time final questions OF |
full meaning and the intent Of law. |
The Commission would call attention |
to the fact that Congress having failed |
at its last session to mske any pTovis. |
ions for the payment cf its expens g,
and the Attorney General hsviog de-
cided that euch expenses could not be |
paid from the appropriation, it
has been impossible to make such in-
spections of work as are much
TO be desired, The Commission would
also call attention to the fact that the
works at Plum Point and Lake Provi-
dence have seriously deteriorsted dur
ing the absence Of appropriations for
carrying them on, and hence that the
asked for in thsir
annual report should be grant
cd, ss the works in these reaches
are still incomplete and funds are not
available for their completion" In
the memorial, Gen. Gill
more adds the following reservation:
"The Tevetment Of caving bank with
or other similar device lie,
perhaps, the quickest way to afford
prote ction, for the reason that it in
te poses covering capable OF RESET.
irg wearing and the undermining
of infringing water. But the most
complete and tfficacious method re-
quired that the current be turned
away from the threatened bank. This